Jeremiah 37

37:1 And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the
son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the
land of Judah.37:2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did
hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet
Jeremiah.37:3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and
Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah,
saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.37:4 Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had
not put him into prison.37:5 Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the
Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed
from Jerusalem.37:6 Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah saying,
37:7 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the
king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold,
Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt
into their own land.37:8 And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city,
and take it, and burn it with fire.37:9 Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The
Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.37:10 For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that
fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet
should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with
fire.37:11 And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was
broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army, 37:12 Then
Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin,
to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.37:13 And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward
was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of
Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away
to the Chaldeans.37:14 Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the
Chaldeans.
But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him
to the princes.37:15 Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him,
and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they
had made that the prison.37:16 When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins,
and Jeremiah had remained there many days; 37:17 Then Zedekiah the
king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his
house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said,
There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the
king of Babylon.37:18 Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended
against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye
have put me in prison? 37:19 Where are now your prophets which
prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come
against you, nor against this land? 37:20 Therefore hear now, I pray
thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be
accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of
Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.37:21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit
Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him
daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread
in the city were spent.
Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Overview:
The Chaldean Army will return. (1-10)Jeremiah is imprisoned.(11-21)

1-10NumbersWitness the fatal effects of other men's sins, yet
heedlessly step into their places, and follow the same
destructive course. When in distress, we ought to desire the
prayers of ministers and Christian friends. And it is common for
those to desire to be prayed for, who will not be advised; yet
sinners are often hardened By a pause in judgments. But if God
help us not, NoCreature can. Whatever instruments God has
determined to use, they shall do the work, though they seem
unlikely.

11-21 There are times when it is the Wisdom of good men to
retire, to enter into their chambers, and to shut the Doors,

Isa 26:20. Jeremiah was seized as a deserter, and committed toPrison. But it is No new thing for the best friends of theChurch to be belied, as in the interests of her worst enemies.
When thus falsely accused, we may deny the charge, and commit
our cause to Him who Judges righteously. Jeremiah obtained Mercy
of the Lord to be Faithful, and would not, to obtain Mercy ofMan, be unfaithful to God or to his Prince; he tells the King
the whole Truth. When Jeremiah delivered God's message, he spake
with boldness; but when he made his own request, he spake
submissively. A lion in God's cause must be a Lamb in his own.
And God gave Jeremiah favour in the eyes of the King. The LordGod can make even the cells of a Prison become pastures to his
people, and will raise up friends to provide for them, So that
in the days of Famine they shall be satisfied.